Micro Ch. 11

chemolithotrophs

oxidize inorganic chemicals for energy

methanogens

group of methane-producing archaea

chemoorganotrophs

oxidize organic compounds (for example, glucose) to obtain energy

lactic acid bacteria

produce lactic acid

anoxygenic phototrophs

organisms that convert light energy into chemical energy without producing oxygen as a byproduct; earliest photosynthesizers

sulfur-oxidizing bacteria

Gram-negative rods, spirals

Nitrifiers

diverse group of Gram-negatives

Ecophysiology

Study of the adaptations of physiological mechanisms that prokaryotes use to live in terrestrial and aquatic environments

Obligate Intracellular Parasites

cannot reproduce outside a host cell: host cells supply compounds they would otherwise need to synthesize